Spotlight: Dra. Helen Abayon Mano

Dra. Helen Abayon Mano

Dra. Helen is a pediatrician from Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, 2016 Manila Best Dressed Awardee, Awarded as Outstanding Woman of Style and Community Service. Grand Champion in a dance competition for the Philippine Medical Association. She also support and extends her help to less fortunate people through JCI Philippines and the Philippine Foundation of the Brotherhood of Christian and Professionals (BCBP).

1. Tell us about your personal opinion about empowered women?

Empowered women are women of integrity and principle whose lives are dedicated to the service of people and making an impact on the lives of many. They embody the true essence of being a woman, a leader and a change maker.

2. What inspires you?

My family has always been and will always be my biggest inspiration in life. They are my reason for living – my fuel in everything I do.

3. How do you take care of yourself or what are your beauty regimens?

Sleep is essential to staying beautiful but being a pediatrician, it is extremely difficult to have adequate time for sleep. Numerous referrals and emergency hospital calls at night would wake me up in the middle of my sleep. I think my biological rhythm has adapted quite well to this set up over the years. I also make sure that I wash my face and get a refreshing hot shower before going to sleep. I love to eat and I am particularly a voracious fruit eater and I just can’t resist seafoods and veggies. I have a passion for dancing and I go to the gym with my husband if time allows but I do light lifts everyday just to tone my arms. I take daily supplements and these help me lot with my daily physical and mental demands as a doctor.

4. How do you define success?

Success is when I get to achieve my goals in life. Success is when I see happy faces of my family for what I do. Success is when I am able to save lives of ailing children. Success is when I please God in everything single thing that I do and every thought that I make.

5. What is your secret of being fabulous?

A good disposition is life is reflection in anything you show on the outside and what you feel on the inside. I love dress, shoes and bags. It has become my passion to always look good at all times even during emergency hospital calls. Looking good gives me a different mood and confidence.

6. What is your advice or suggestions to all women?

We only live once and life is relatively short, so make the most of it. Every woman should feel good and look good whenever possible. Think positively but always learn from the negative side of life.  Be proud of being a woman and be an agent of change. Make your family as your fortress and refuge and put God in the middle of it and everything good will spring from it.

Check out the behind the scenes video at City Garden Hotel Makati

Spotlight: Ms. Marge Palacios

Ms. Marge Palacios

Businesswoman, President and Owner of B&W Omni Media, HWM previous cover, Manila Loveliest Awardee, Manila best dressed awardee, she was also included in Rupert jacinto’s “Faaabvlous VII” coffee table book on its 7th series and active member of Rotary Club of Makati.

1.       Tell us your opinion about empowered women?

The phrase of the decade: Women Empowerment. So cliché. But being an empowered woman I believe is as simple as having the strength of character within. And it shows. You need not be a dragon lady or a CEO of a huge firm to be empowered. You can be a housewife, a woman who has dedicated her life to raising her kids and serving her husband only because SHE CHOOSES TO and stands firm on the choices she makes. A woman who is brave to face whatever challenge stands before her and is able to think for herself, and not because it is expected of her. I am glad that many women in this time and age, have become bolder, more creative, more passionate and opinionated; and wiser. Just as long as they don’t get drunk with all this empowerment and take it out of context.

2. What inspires you?

LOVE. When you love, and feel loved, everything changes. You want to do more. To give more. Dreams shape up. Love is the greatest feeling of all.

3. Beauty regimens and how do you take care of yourself?

I visit the parlor 4 times a year. I do my own nails since I just like them short and clean and if I have to go to a nail spa for that alone, I feel it’s a waste of time for me. I have monthly facials. My daily facial regimen is a facial wash and moisturizer. Then I’m fine with just loose powder. But what I cannot leave without is LIPSTICK! In fact I will not leave the house without it. But more than all these beauty regimen, what keeps me feeling good is having to attend dance sessions (fusion, hiphop, funky, modern jazz etc.) at the gym I go to 3 times a week. Ever since I started my dance workout over 6 years ago, I feel younger now than I did 10 years ago!

  4.     How do you define success?

Success is a mindset. One may see success as wealth. Others as having the perfect family. Or for many, fame. Success is personal. If one is able to achieve their dreams, and is happy and content with its outcome, and still be able to sleep at night, then for me, that is success.

5. What is your secret to being fabulous?

Frankly speaking, I never really did see myself as fabulous. In fact, I believe I’m far from being that and it’s actually kind of funny that some people think that I am. I may look it in pictures because I’m required to dress a certain way in some occasions or at least for the camera. But I don’t really like to fuss over what I’m going to wear or what makeup or hairstyle am I going to apply. For those who really know me, I’m actually very simple. A nice dressed watch will suffice as a daily accessory. Signature bags that are grossly priced are immaterial to me. If it looks good, I’ll carry it. As for clothes, if it looks and feels good, I’ll wear it. I never let brands define who I am. Fabulosity is superficial.

6. Advice to all women?

Enjoy your womanhood. Love and pamper yourself. Fulfill your passions. Never let yourself go, not just for your partner, but because you deserve better. If you find value in yourself, only then will others learn to value you.